Savannah unlatches and lets out a satisfied little sigh. I shift her carefully and burp her against my shoulder. She lets out another surprisingly loud belch that makes us both laugh.
“That’s my girl,” I whisper, kissing her soft hair before settling her back into the carrier beside me.
“She’s definitely a New Yorker,” Sofie laughs.
Nalani pours a glass of wine for herself and Sofie, and sparkling water for me, then joins me on the couch. “Fearless,” she murmurs, almost to herself. “That’s what you are.”
I raise a brow. “Fearless?”
“Yeah. I think you earned it.”
Sofie curls up, “I’m calling it — girls’ night in.”
Nalani groans good-naturedly. “Sofie, we just survived an emotional hurricane.”
“Exactly. Which means comfort food and confessions are medically required.”
I smile, leaning back as I situate Savannah. “I don’t think I have much left to confess today.”
“Don’t worry,” Sofie says, dropping onto the armchair with dramatic flair. “I’ll talk enough for all of us.”
Nalani laughs and curls her legs beneath her.
Watching them, I realize how much they’ve both changed since the stories they told me about their college years.
Nalani is steady — the kind of woman who listens more than she speaks, but when she does, her words carry weight. There’s a quiet confidence about her, a peace I envy.
Sofie, though—she’s fire. Nalani said she’s grown into this boss bitch version of herself, no longer the bright-eyed girl chasing freedom for the first time she owns her space.
It strikes me then — this moment feels like freshman year when no one knew who I was, who I could become who I always knew who I wanted to be. All those late nights. Laughter. That feeling of being part of something without having to try.
God, how I wish I could go back to then.
I blink awake,realizing I must’ve dozed off. The apartment is dim except for the warm glow of the kitchen light. Savannah’s soft breaths come from her carrier beside me.
Nalani walks out of the other bedroom, straight dark hair falling loose over her shoulder.
“I’ll find a hotel tonight and?—”
“When I was feeding the birds earlier, Paul gave me the comfiest cot,” she says, smiling. “You’re staying.”
Sofie grins and shakes her head. “And since that sounded like a challenge, I one-upped him.” She waves a hand toward a large box.
Still half-groggy I ask, “You ordered a pack-n-play?”
“For my niece,” Sofie says proudly, lifting Savannah into her arms and swaying a little. “She’s staying here till you leave for Houston, and she needs a place that isn’t a car seat or a lap. That’s non-negotiable.”
Nalani sits beside me, “You have a flight back to Houston in a few days. There’s no point in wasting money on another hotel when you have us.”
“I don’t want to impose?—”
Sofie cuts me off immediately. “Please, were sisters.”
Nalani smiles, “And I really like having the company.”
I look between them — one fiery, one calm — and the corners of my mouth lift. “Guess we’re staying a little longer, huh?” I say, unscrewing the cap of my water bottle.
Sofie lifts her glass toward me. “To new sisters, and last-minute detours that brought us together.”
